Today’s thoughts turned towards fasting. I began the day with a fast until the evening “Shrove Tuesday” pancake meal. I probably ate too much, but the local church providing the meals had done a great job of the pancakes and sausages!
Then to a Bible study on fasting. As I enter Lent, this was a good reminder.
Fasting as fighting arose in my mind as we chatted. I have fasted intermittently for many decades. I like fasting as a good mind clearer and a place to listen to hear from God (this is the prayer part many people talk about). BUT . . . Then I thought of Saul’s fast called for his army. They needed to win the battle completely so no time for backing off, munching out or getting distracted by food. That didn’t work to well for his son who hadn’t been there to hear the command. He ate some honey and led the soldiers onwards with personal renewed vigor.
Setting aside the upside down happenings in this story, the point is made that there was a custom established that fasting can be part of fighting.
Isaiah 58:6-7 then gave me pause. Here is the relevant passage from the NLT:
“No, this is the kind of fasting I want:
Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
lighten the burden of those who work for you.
Let the oppressed go free,
and remove the chains that bind people.
7 Share your food with the hungry,
and give shelter to the homeless.
Give clothes to those who need them,
and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
The fast was in the action. Literally! Giving the idea that we must DO what is required in order to fulfil the fast. If we were to take this to the extreme, we are saying – ‘eat up only when you have cleaned up your act’.